Research Article

Serum Spexin, Kisspeptin-1, Substance P, and Neurokinin-1 Receptor Levels in Hyperemesis Gravidarum: A Prospective Paired Follow-Up Study

Volume: 47 Number: 3 June 29, 2026

Serum Spexin, Kisspeptin-1, Substance P, and Neurokinin-1 Receptor Levels in Hyperemesis Gravidarum: A Prospective Paired Follow-Up Study

Abstract

Hyperemesis gravidarum (HG) is characterized by severe nausea and vomiting during pregnancy and may adversely affect both maternal health and fetal development. This study aimed to investigate serum spexin, kisspeptin-1, substance P, and neurokinin-1 receptor levels, which were hypothesized to be associated with HG. The study was conducted among pregnant women who applied to the Gynecology and Obstetrics Outpatient Clinic of Sivas Cumhuriyet University Faculty of Medicine. A total of 41 pregnant women diagnosed with HG were included. Serum samples were collected from the same participants during the acute HG period and again during the symptom-resolved follow-up period at 20–30 weeks of gestation. Venous blood samples of 4 mL were obtained, and serum spexin, kisspeptin-1, substance P, and neurokinin-1 receptor levels were measured using the ELISA method. No significant differences were observed in serum spexin, kisspeptin-1, substance P, or neurokinin-1 receptor levels between the acute HG period and the symptom-resolved follow-up period (p>0.05). However, significant correlations were detected among these proteins. These findings suggest that serum spexin, kisspeptin-1, substance P, and neurokinin-1 receptor levels were not significantly associated with HG in the present study. Further prospective studies, particularly those including gestational-age-matched healthy pregnant controls, are needed to better clarify the possible roles of these proteins in HG and other pregnancy-related complications.

Keywords

Hyperemesis gravidarum, Kisspeptin-1, Neurokinin-1 Receptor, Spexin, Substance P.

Supporting Institution

N/A

Project Number

N/A

Ethical Statement

Following the design of the study hypothesis, each participant provided written informed consent in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki. Sivas Cumhuriyet University's Scientific Research and Publication Ethics authorized the study (Date: 20.10.2021; number: 2021/10-44).

Thanks

N/A

References

  1. Lacroix, R., Eason, E., & Melzack, R. (2000). Nausea and vomiting during pregnancy: A prospective study of its frequency, intensity, and patterns of change. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 182(4), 931–937. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0002-9378(00)70349-8
  2. Chihara, H., Otsubo, Y., Yoneyama, Y., Sawa, R., Suzuki, S., Power, G. G., & Araki, T. (2003). Basal metabolic rate in hyperemesis gravidarum: Comparison to normal pregnancy and response to treatment. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 188(2), 434–438. https://doi.org/10.1067/mob.2003.74
  3. Vikanes, A., Grjibovski, A. M., Vangen, S., & Magnus, P. (2008). Variations in prevalence of hyperemesis gravidarum by country of birth: A study of 900,074 pregnancies in Norway, 1967–2005. Scandinavian Journal of Public Health, 36(2), 135–142. https://doi.org/10.1177/1403494807085189
  4. Einarson, T. R., Piwko, C., & Koren, G. (2013). Prevalence of nausea and vomiting of pregnancy in the USA: A meta-analysis. Journal of Population Therapeutics and Clinical Pharmacology, 20(2), e163–e170.
  5. Kauppila, A., Ylikorkala, O., Järvinen, P. A., & Haapalahti, J. (1976). The function of the anterior pituitary‐adrenal cortex axis in hyperemesis gravidarum. BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, 83(1), 11–16. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1471-0528.1976.tb00723.x
  6. Verberg, M. F. G., Gillott, D. J., Al-Fardan, N., & Grudzinskas, J. G. (2005). Hyperemesis gravidarum, a literature review. Human Reproduction Update, 11(5), 527–539. https://doi.org/10.1093/humupd/dmi021
  7. Tsang, I. S., Katz, V. L., & Wells, S. D. (1996). Maternal and fetal outcomes in hyperemesis gravidarum. International Journal of Gynecology & Obstetrics, 55(3), 231–235. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0020-7292(96)02778-6
  8. Kotani, M., Detheux, M., Vandenbogaerde, A., Communi, D., Vanderwinden, J. M., Le Poul, E., Brézillon, S., Tyldesley, R., Suarez-Huerta, N., Vandeput, F., Blanpain, C., Schiffmann, S. N., Vassart, G., & Parmentier, M. (2001). The metastasis suppressor gene KiSS-1 encodes kisspeptins, the natural ligands of the orphan G protein-coupled receptor GPR54. Journal of Biological Chemistry, 276(37), 34631–34636. https://doi.org/10.1074/jbc.M104847200
  9. Clements, M. K., McDonald, T. P., Wang, R., Xie, G., O’Dowd, B. F., George, S. R., Austin, C. P., & Liu, Q. (2001). FMRFamide-related neuropeptides are agonists of the orphan G-protein-coupled receptor GPR54. Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications, 284(5), 1189–1193. https://doi.org/10.1006/bbrc.2001.5098
  10. Lee, D. K., Nguyen, T., O’Neill, G. P., Cheng, R., Liu, Y., Howard, A. D., Coulombe, N., Tan, C. P., Tang-Nguyen, A.-T., George, S. R., & O’Dowd, B. F. (1999). Discovery of a receptor related to the galanin receptors. FEBS Letters, 446(1), 103–107. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0014-5793(99)00009-5
APA
Taş, A., Karademir, D., Agbektas, T., Tunçbilek, Z., Cinar Kaya, G., & Siliğ, Y. (2026). Serum Spexin, Kisspeptin-1, Substance P, and Neurokinin-1 Receptor Levels in Hyperemesis Gravidarum: A Prospective Paired Follow-Up Study. Cumhuriyet Science Journal, 47(3), 418-426. https://doi.org/10.17776/csj.1862716
AMA
1.Taş A, Karademir D, Agbektas T, Tunçbilek Z, Cinar Kaya G, Siliğ Y. Serum Spexin, Kisspeptin-1, Substance P, and Neurokinin-1 Receptor Levels in Hyperemesis Gravidarum: A Prospective Paired Follow-Up Study. CSJ. 2026;47(3):418-426. doi:10.17776/csj.1862716
Chicago
Taş, Ayça, Dilay Karademir, Tugba Agbektas, Zuhal Tunçbilek, Gülcihan Cinar Kaya, and Yavuz Siliğ. 2026. “Serum Spexin, Kisspeptin-1, Substance P, and Neurokinin-1 Receptor Levels in Hyperemesis Gravidarum: A Prospective Paired Follow-Up Study”. Cumhuriyet Science Journal 47 (3): 418-26. https://doi.org/10.17776/csj.1862716.
EndNote
Taş A, Karademir D, Agbektas T, Tunçbilek Z, Cinar Kaya G, Siliğ Y (June 1, 2026) Serum Spexin, Kisspeptin-1, Substance P, and Neurokinin-1 Receptor Levels in Hyperemesis Gravidarum: A Prospective Paired Follow-Up Study. Cumhuriyet Science Journal 47 3 418–426.
IEEE
[1]A. Taş, D. Karademir, T. Agbektas, Z. Tunçbilek, G. Cinar Kaya, and Y. Siliğ, “Serum Spexin, Kisspeptin-1, Substance P, and Neurokinin-1 Receptor Levels in Hyperemesis Gravidarum: A Prospective Paired Follow-Up Study”, CSJ, vol. 47, no. 3, pp. 418–426, June 2026, doi: 10.17776/csj.1862716.
ISNAD
Taş, Ayça - Karademir, Dilay - Agbektas, Tugba - Tunçbilek, Zuhal - Cinar Kaya, Gülcihan - Siliğ, Yavuz. “Serum Spexin, Kisspeptin-1, Substance P, and Neurokinin-1 Receptor Levels in Hyperemesis Gravidarum: A Prospective Paired Follow-Up Study”. Cumhuriyet Science Journal 47/3 (June 1, 2026): 418-426. https://doi.org/10.17776/csj.1862716.
JAMA
1.Taş A, Karademir D, Agbektas T, Tunçbilek Z, Cinar Kaya G, Siliğ Y. Serum Spexin, Kisspeptin-1, Substance P, and Neurokinin-1 Receptor Levels in Hyperemesis Gravidarum: A Prospective Paired Follow-Up Study. CSJ. 2026;47:418–426.
MLA
Taş, Ayça, et al. “Serum Spexin, Kisspeptin-1, Substance P, and Neurokinin-1 Receptor Levels in Hyperemesis Gravidarum: A Prospective Paired Follow-Up Study”. Cumhuriyet Science Journal, vol. 47, no. 3, June 2026, pp. 418-26, doi:10.17776/csj.1862716.
Vancouver
1.Ayça Taş, Dilay Karademir, Tugba Agbektas, Zuhal Tunçbilek, Gülcihan Cinar Kaya, Yavuz Siliğ. Serum Spexin, Kisspeptin-1, Substance P, and Neurokinin-1 Receptor Levels in Hyperemesis Gravidarum: A Prospective Paired Follow-Up Study. CSJ. 2026 Jun. 1;47(3):418-26. doi:10.17776/csj.1862716